Mechanical exercising horse



y 1944- I c. NEWMAN 2,348,747

MECHANI CAL EXERC IS ING HORSE Filed Aug. 9. 1943 Patented May 16, 1944UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,343,747 I MEGHANlGAL nxsnoismonoasn.Charles'Newi'nan, Elizabeth, N. J.

Application. Auguste, 1943, SeriaLNc. 497,986-

8v Claims.

This inventionqrelates: generally to the class of: exercisingdevices'and pertainsparticularly to novel improvements in mechanicalexercising horses,

A principal object-ofithe present invention is toprovide-amechanicalhorse or a mechanical device by means of Whi'chexercisesmay be taken which will simulatefthe-various movementsperformed in the riding ofahorse;

Another object of the invention is to provide a mechanical horseexerciser or exercising horse, which isso constructed that desirableexercising movements can be readily "given to the arms, legs and torso,suchasareactually received when riding a horse either'a'ta walk, trot,cant'er or run, the device-being" so constructed and arranged that itmay be used by children or adults without danger to theuser;

Still another object ofthe'in-vention' is to provide amechanicallexercising horse which is-operated by'muscular'mov'ement' ofthe legs, arms and body generally rather than by'a mechanical meanssothatthe user of the device can increase or decrease-the tempo ofactivity at will and is notrequired to respond to movements imparted tothe exerciser by a motor or other mechanical means such as is employedin other types of mechanical exercising horses.

The present device is designed primarily for the use of children" andanother important object ofthe invention is to provide a'device'which'is so designedthat it will not only'give desirableexercise to all muscles of th'eb'ody but will require a certain degreeof skillo'r "judgment'in its use" and will not'only enable a child todevelop such-skill and'judgment but will also assist the childin thedevelopment 'ofcoordi'nation of the muscles of the arms, legs and otherparts of the body.

The invention will be' best understood from a consideration of thefollowing detailed description taken'in association with theaccompanying drawing with theunderstandin'gtha't the invention is not tobe considered as confined to the particular showing of the drawing butmaybe changed or modified 'within the scope of the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in top plan of the mechanical exerciser;

Figure 2 is a side elevation with parts in section; and

Figure 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the draw exerciser.

ing the numeral I generally designates the base or body'of thepresent-device'whichisin the form of aboard or'plankofsufii'cientlengthiand width to provide a steady non-tiltable supportfor the Extending longitudinally ofthe top of thebase l is a bar'or rib2 at the forward end of which there; is secured the upstanding post 3which is perpendicular to the bar2 and which is firmly attached theretoby a bracing angle iron 4 and by a dowel pin 5 inserted from the frontofthe post 3 and into the end of the bar'2 as shown.

As. an additional bracing meansthere is provided' the obliquelyextending tie rod' 6', the upper endof which extends through andissecured in the post 3'whi1e thelower end extends downwardly throughthe bar 2 and through the baseboard I.

The back face of the post' 3 at the top thereof is provided with asuitablerecess toreceive, as-at 1, an end of a vertically-disposed steelleaf spring 8 which is firmly fixed to the post'3 as indicated at 9.

The-numeral It! generally designates a simultation of the head of thehorse with a neck portion ll, of fiat form and having a vertical rearedge face which is positioned'ag'ainst theiorward face of the fiat neckspring 8 at the top of the latter, and secured thereto by screws orother suitable securing means H2.

The width or thickness of the neck portion II is increased adjacent theupper end of'the spring 8, by the application of the plates or blocks E3to the'opposite side of'the ne'ck'l l and extend ing transverselythrough these blocks and the neck is a handle bar l4, upon each end ofwhich is a hand grip or knob I5. While the handle bar has been describedas extending through the parts I! and I3 it will, of course, beunderstood that this'may be made up of two separate bar members havingtheir end'ssecured in the'plates l3 if desired.

Upon the base I at each side of the rib 2 there is secured a stirrupblock I 6. Upon the top of each stirrup block 16 is securedhorizontally, a substantially U-shaped spring, which is formed ofsuitably broad flat springl metal. This spring stirrup is generallyindicatedby the'numeral I! and, as shown, one side or leg I8 thereoflies upon the top of a block l6 so that the loop IQ of the springextends beyond the rear edge of the block. This looped portion of thespring is shaped to hang or bend downwardly partly across the rear edgeof the block as indicated at 20, thereby giving the top leg 2| of thespring a somewhat wider or greater range of movement than would be thecase if the loop were placed directly upon the top of the block.

At the forward end of the top portion 2| of each stirrup spring I! thereis fixed a wood foot piece or tread 22, across the top of which issecured loosely to receive the toe of the rider, a leather or canvasstrap 23.

In practice the stirrup blocks and stirrups will be mounted upon thebase board I, with the left stirrup slightly in advance of the rightone. By this arrangement the user of the exerciser is able to maintain abetter balance than would be the case if the stirrups were disposed on aline extending straight across or perpendicular to the bar 2 of thedevice.

In the operation or use of the exerciser the operator or rider standswith his feet each upon a stirrup block 22 with the toe engaged beneaththe adjacent strap 23 and leans forward in a riding position, holdingthe handle bars at the sides of the neck. He then moves or swings hisbody up and down, flexing or bending the legs at the knees while at thesame time pushing and pulling the horses head back and forth or towardand away from himself. This operation puts the foot or stirrup springsand the horses head or foresection of the exerciser into oscillatingmotion as a result of which the operator or rider automatically moveshimself up and down in'a manner very similar to that followed in ridinga trotting or running horse.

While the use'of flat metal springs or spring leaves in the foresectionof the exerciser and in the stirrups, is preferred it will be apparentthat compression or coil springs may effectively be employed andtherefore it is to be understood that the invention is not limited tothe specific type of spring shown.

In order to facilitate the moving of the exer-' ciser from place toplace, there may be attached to the front of the post 3 a handle strap24, of leather, fabric or other suitable material. By the use of thisstrap the device can be slid over the floor from place to place.

It will be seen from the foregoing that there is provided in the presentinvention a single but strong and durable exercising device, by the useof which there may be obtained all of the sensations of riding a livinghorse together with the muscle exercise attendant upon such activity.

I claim:

1. An exercising device comprising a base, a pair of spring supportedstirrups mounted upon said base, a vertically extending resilientlysupported body upon the base and disposed in a plane passing betweensaid stirrups, and hand grips carriedby the resiliently supported bodyto be grasped while standing upon said stirrups.

2. A mechanical exerciser of the character stated, comprising a base, apair of stirrups, spring means supporting each stirrup upon the base forup and down movements, an elongated spring member-disposedverticallywith respect to and supported upon the base in a plane passing betweensaid stirrups, and means carried by and upon the upper end of saidspring member forming hand grips.

3. A mechanical exerciser as set forth in claim 2 wherein said springsupported stirrups are arranged one in advance of the other.

4. A mechanical exercising horse, comprising a base, an upstanding postsecured to said base upon the longitudinal center thereof, a head, avertically disposed spring attached at one end to said post and havingits other end connected with said head, said spring being designed tooscillate in the direction of the length of the base, means connectedwith the head forming hand grips, and resilient vertically movablestirrups secured to the base at opposite sides of the longitudinalcenter thereof.

5. An exerciser as set forth in claim 4 in which each of said stirrupscomprises a substantially U-shaped leaf spring disposed parallel to thelongitudinal center of the base and having its open side directedforwardly and with one leg secured to the base, a foot block secured tothe free end of the other leg of each ofsaid 'U -shaped springs, and atoe strap disposed'across each foot block.

6. A mechanical exerciser as set forth in' claim 4, in which each ofsaid stirrups comprises a stirrup block mounted upon the base, asubstantially U-shaped leaf spring disposed horizontally and having oneleg secured to the topof the stirrup block, the closed or looped portionof each U-shaped spring being extended rearwardly beyond the rear edgeof the underlying stirrup block and bent downwardly toward the base, anda foot block secured upon the top of the other and upper leg of each ofthe U-shaped springs.

7. A mechanical exerciser as set forth in claim 4, in which each of saidstirrups comprises a stirrup block mounted upon the base, asubstantially U-shaped leaf spring disposed horizontally and having oneleg secured to the top of the stirrup block, the closed or loopedportion of each U-shaped spring being extended rearwardly beyond therear edge of the underlying block and bent downwardly toward the base,and a foot block secured upon the top of the otherand upper leg of eachof the U-shaped springs, said stirrups being arranged with one inadvance of the other.

8. A mechanical exercising horse, comprising a base plate, a bar securedto the top of and extending longitudinally of said base plate, a postsecured to one end of and extending vertically from said bar, a leafspring secured at one end of the said post and extending ,vertically, ahorses head simulating unit secured to the upper end of the leaf springatthe side thereof remote from the base, 'means forming hand grips atopposite sides of said unit, and a pair of stirrups supported upon thebase, one upon each side of said bar and each of said stirrupscomprising a horizontally disposed substantially U-shaped leaf springhaving its looped end directed towards the rear-of the base andsubstantially parelleling said bar, and each, of said U-shaped springssupporting a foot block upon the upper side thereof and at the end remote from the said looped end.

CHARLES NEWMAN. I

